Lewis Capaldi’s Liverpool Homecoming Heartbreak, Healing and a Sea of Voices
- L J Hubbard
- 1 minute ago
- 3 min read
Sefton Park, Liverpool, 12th August 2026
WORDS L J HUBBARD / IMAGES RUBY GAY
Saturday evening in Sefton Park was an emotional one, with Lewis Capaldi playing his first show in Liverpool since his mental health related hiatus back in 2023. Tens of thousands flocked to the stage for the evening, ready to back up Capaldi’s raw, powerful vocals and sing their hearts out.
Opening for Capaldi were two very contrasting acts: alt-folk newcomer, Dermot Henry, followed by R&B vocalist, Loyle Carner.
Henry’s performance was breathtaking. It took him some time to warm up to the scenes before him, I don’t blame the guy – his first time playing in Liverpool to thousands of people, that takes a lot of courage. I was so taken aback by his range, instantly reminding me of Jeff Buckley’s live vocal riffs.
Henry was a great opener, with the perfect mix of high energy indie-folk tracks and some slower piano ballads.
Not long after, Carner took to the stage. His set was an absolute highlight for me, blending poetic bars with jazz-infused instrumentals, it was spot on for getting the crowd’s energy up before the main man.
After his first song, Carner admitted he was “a little nervous”, and honestly, you couldn’t have guessed – the way he bounced around the stage with lyrics rolling off his tongue effortlessly sent a completely different message.
Having an R&B artist open a pop act isn’t something I’ve seen before, but it worked a charm and there were a lot of new Loyle Carner fans leaving the park that night, that’s for sure.
As the sun went down, the floodlights joined it and the band made their way onstage, soundtracking Capaldi’s entrance, guitar in hand and ready to go.
Getting his “happiest three songs”, ‘Hollywood’, ‘Grace’ and ‘Heavenly Kind of State of Mind’ out of the way first, Capaldi’s plan was clear: get everyone experiencing the raw emotion in his lyrics, feeling every word, every note deep down.
For someone with a discography built on heartbreak, loss and pain, Capaldi has an incredible sense of humour. As soon as his eyes fell on the streams of fans queuing for the Waltzer, that was it for them. “Who pays that much money to go to a gig and queue for the Waltzer? Anyone on that ride is dead to me” he joked as the whole crowd turned to get a glimpse of the riders. If you closed your eyes, you’d believe you were down the road in Hot Water Comedy Club.
Capaldi’s songs for me are a little hit or miss, with a lot of similarities between them but the ones that stand out, really stand out. Highlights from his set, for me and I’m sure for a lot of others, were his hits ‘Wish You the Best’, ‘Before You Go’, ‘Hold Me While You Wait’ and his biggest tune, ‘Someone You Loved’.
Capaldi had the crowd gripped with these performances, every single word reverberating back to him. He clearly has a lot of trust and love for his audience, dropping the vocals every few choruses and letting them take the lead. The crowd were fantastic, singing their hearts out even louder than Capaldi at some points.
The performance everyone was waiting for was his hit single ‘Someone You Loved’, which even drew further crowds outside, ears pressed against the fences to catch a fragment of one of the greatest pop songs in the last ten years.
You could tell Capaldi was enjoying every second of this moment, sharing it with his hugely supportive fans. A truly beautiful moment, especially after all he has been through.
Capaldi’s return to touring has been a huge triumph, and you could tell every single person in the field was overjoyed to have him back in the city.
SETLIST
1. Hollywood
2. Grace
3. Heavenly Kind of State of Mind
4. Wish You the Best
5. Love the Hell Out of You
6. Forever
7. Bruises
8. Teenage Dream (Katy Perry cover – teaser into Pointless)
9. Pointless
10. Something in the Heavens
11. Before You Go
12. Fade
13. The Day That I Die
14. Hold Me While You Wait
15. Forget Me
ENCORE
16. Have You Ever Seen the Rain? (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
17. Survive
18. Someone You Loved
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